Bridge Weigh-in-Motion (B-WIM) System Testing and Evaluation

The expansion in freight shipments on the nation’s highways has led to a substantial increase in road traffic congestion. Of particular concern is the increase in the number, size, and weight of heavy commercial vehicles. Because of the limited resources available to enforcement agencies, an effective program of highway maintenance and safety could benefit substantially from an affordable traffic sampling and enforcement program that is not manpower intensive. A reliable, accurate, and portable dynamic sampling system capable of delivering measurements of moving vehicle type, size, and weight would be attractive. The continued advancement and acceptance in Europe of bridge weigh-in-motion (B-WIM) technology as a tool for highway maintenance, safety, and enforcement has established an interest for field demonstrations of the technology and potential applications in the United States. In this project, a team of researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), University of Alabama (UA), and University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) was initiated to evaluate the potential use of B-WIM systems in Alabama. Over the course of eighteen months, the team consulted with experienced researchers and practitioners in Europe and the United States. A commercial B-WIM system developed in Slovenia was purchased for testing. System installation and calibration was conducted at two remote sites. A short, in-service field test at the second site resulted in accuracy classifications of C(15) for gross vehicle weight and lower accuracy for single axles and group of axles. After work at the two test sites was completed, an international one-day B-WIM workshop was held to discuss practical applications for B-WIM technology in heavy truck freight operations. The report concludes with recommendations for bridge selection, system installation, calibration techniques, and operational methods.

• Record URL:
  http://utca.eng.ua.edu/files/2012/07/07212-Final-Report.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This report was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Alabama, Birmingham

  Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
  1075 13th Street South
  Birmingham, AL  United States  35294

  University Transportation Center for Alabama

  University of Alabama
  Tuscaloosa, AL  United States  35487

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Hitchcock, Wilbur A
  • Uddin, Nasim
  • Sisiopiku, Virginia
  • Salama, Talat
  • Kirby, Jason
  • Zhao, Hua
  • Toutanji, Houssam
  • Richardson, Jim
• Publication Date: 2012-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 75p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Applications; Bridges; Calibration; Field tests; Heavy vehicles; Installation; Maintenance management; Overweight loads; Weigh in motion; Workshops
• Geographic Terms: Alabama
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I60: Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01383575
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/CA/OR, UTCA Report Number 07212
• Files: UTC, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 22 2012 3:37PM